Hopes suspected WWII engine found at sea can be kept at Evans Head

Military history enthusiasts on the New South Wales north coast are awaiting confirmation that a plane engine pulled from the ocean by a prawn trawler is from an RAAF aircraft that crashed during the Second World War. It went down near Byron Bay in 1942 killing all 10 servicemen on board.

Evans Head Living Museum president Richard Gates says it is believed to belong to a Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed Hudson.

The plane went down at Tallow Beach, killing all 10 servicemen on board.

The Hudson A16-198 was flying from Horne Island in the Torres Strait to the Amberley RAAF base in southern Queensland.

Dr Gates says he would bet his house that the recovered piece of wreckage is from the same aircraft.

"When you look at the propeller at the top, you can see that the blades are badly bent back," he said.

"From one expert I've spoken to, he says that's an indication that the propeller was feathered or not running at the time - in other words the engine had stopped - and that fits with the story that the plane was running out of fuel."

The RAAF is coming to assess the engine.

Dr Gates hopes to see the engine ends up at the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Association Museum once the Department of Defence has completed official procedures.

"Of course we were excited," Dr Gates said.

"But it's also a mixture of emotions...there was a significant tinge of sadness for me and concern about how the relatives might feel about this particular find."

Families of the servicemen on board will be notified once the wreck is properly identified.

The find comes as Evans Head aerodrome prepares for the Great Eastern Fly-In this weekend, which will see more than 100 aircraft come from around Australia for the event.

Evans Head Living Museum president Richard Gates says an engine pulled from the bottom of the ocean is believed to be from a WWII aircraft that crashed near Byron Bay more than 70 years ago.
(Margaret Burin - ABC Local)